Cranial fractures are widely documented in archaeological contexts, yet the application of fracture
mechanics to differentiate traumatic events remains limited. This study analyses a dataset of 234
human cadavers subjected to 329 experimentally controlled blunt-impact tests, examining mechanical
variables and fracture patterns that could be relevant to archaeological interpretation. The results
show substantial methodological variability across the analysed studies. Analysis of these studies
indicates that impact energy is the most reliable parameter for assessing fracture severity, suggesting
a preliminary fracture threshold of around 2000 N, and that bone thickness is a major determinant
of cranial resistance. Clear differences in fracture morphology according to impact surface were also
observed: focal surfaces frequently produce depressed and comminuted fractures, whereas broad
surfaces predominantly generate linear fractures. These data provide a framework for archaeological
analysis: bone thickness, fracture morphology, and the presence and distribution of secondary
fractures offer indirect but informative proxies for impact energy and surface characteristics, which
could help to distinguish violent from non-violent events. This study emphasizes the need for dynamic
fracture-mechanics approaches and targeted experimental work to better characterise archaeological
impacts.
